Invasive fungal diseases in haematopoietic cell transplant recipients and in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia or myelodysplasia in Brazil

AbstractInvasive fungal disease (IFD) shows distinct regional incidence patterns and epidemiological features depending on the geographic region. We conducted a prospective survey in eight centres in Brazil from May 2007 to July 2009. All haematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients and patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplasia (MDS) were followed from admission until 1 year (HCT) or end of consolidation therapy (AML/MDS). The 12-month cumulative incidence (CI) of proven or probable IFD was calculated, and curves were compared using the Grey test. Among 237 AML/MDS patients and 700 HCT recipients (378 allogeneic, 322 autologous), the 1-year CI of IFD in AML/MDS, allogeneic HCT and autologous HCT was 18.7%, 11.3% and 1.9% (p <0.001), respectively. Fusariosis (23 episodes), aspergillosis (20 episodes) and candidiasis (11 episodes) were the most frequent IFD. The 1-year CI of aspergillosis and fusariosis in AML/MDS, allogeneic HCT and autologous HCT were 13.4%, 2.3% and 0% (p <0.001), and 5.2%, 3.8% and 0.6% (p 0.01), respectively. The 6-week probability of survival was 53%, and was lower in cases of fusariosis (41%). We observed a high burden of IFD and a high incidence and mortality for fusariosis in this first multicentre epidemiological study of IFD in haematological patients in Brazil

Plasma signatures of Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy patients identified by untargeted lipidomic profiling are not changed after a fat-containing breakfast meal

Background: The incapacity to store lipids in adipose tissue in Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy (CGL) causes hypoleptinemia, increased appetite, ectopic fat deposition and lipotoxicity. CGL patients experience shortened life expectancy. The plasma lipidomic profile has not been characterized fully in CGL, nor has the extent of dietary intake in its modulation. The present work investigated the plasma lipidomic profile of CGL patients in comparison to eutrophic individuals at the fasted state and after a breakfast meal. Method: Blood samples from 11 CGL patients and 10 eutrophic controls were collected after 12 h fasting (T0) and 90 minutes after an ad libitum fat-containing breakfast (T90). The lipidomic profile of extracted plasma lipids was characterized by non-target liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: Important differences between groups were observed at T0 and at T90. Several molecular species of fatty acyls, glycerolipids, sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids were altered in CGL. All the detected fatty acyl molecular species, several diacylglycerols and one triacylglycerol species were upregulated in CGL. Among sphingolipids, one sphingomyelin and one glycosphingolipid species showed downregulation in CGL. Alterations in the glycerophospholipids glycerophosphoethanolamines, glycerophosphoserines and cardiolipins were more complex. Interestingly, when comparing T90 versus T0, the lipidomic profile in CGL did not change as intensely as it did for control participants. Conclusions: The present study found profound alterations in the plasma lipidomic profile of complex lipids in CGL patients as compared to control subjects. A fat-containing breakfast meal did not appear to significantly influence the CGL profile observed in the fasted state. Our study may have implications for clinical practice, also aiding to a deeper comprehension of the role of complex lipids in CGL in view of novel therapeutic strategies

O fenômeno El Niño Oscilação Sul e a variabilidade interanual da evaporação do tanque Classe A e da umidade relativa do ar em Santa Maria, RS El Niño Southern Oscilation and the interannual variability of Pan evaporation and air relative humidity in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi associar a variabilidade interanual da evaporação do tanque Classe A e da umidade relativa do ar com o fenômeno El Niño Oscilação Sul (ENOS) em Santa Maria, RS. Foram utilizados os dados diários de evaporação do tanque Classe A (ECA, mm dia-1) e umidade relativa média diária do ar (UR, %) medidos em Santa Maria, RS. A ECA foi medida de 1973 a 2006 e a UR de 1969 a 2006. Os anos foram classificados em El Niño (EN), La Niña (LN) e Neutros (N), considerando o período de 01/07 de um ano até 30/06 do ano seguinte. Os resultados mostraram que a ECA é menor nos anos de EN e maior nos anos de LN. Já a UR foi maior em anos de EN e menor em anos de LN. O efeito do fenômeno ENOS sobre a ECA é maior nos meses de novembro, dezembro, janeiro e maio, enquanto que sobre a UR os meses de maior influência do ENOS são outubro, novembro, dezembro e maio.<br>The objective of this study was to associate the interannual variability of Pan evaporation and air relative humidity with the El Niño Southern Oscilation (ENSO) phenomenon in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Daily data records of Pan evaporation (PAN, mm day-1) and mean daily relative humidity (RH, %) measured in Santa Maria, RS, were used. PAN was measured from 1973 to 2006 and RH was measured from 1969 to 2006. Years were grouped into El Niño (EN) years, La Niña (LN) years, and Neutral (N) years, from July 1st of the year to June 30th of the following year. Results showed that PAN is lower in EN years and greater in LN years. On the other hand, RH was greater in EN years and lower in LN years. The effect of ENSO on PAN is greater in November, December, January, and May, whereas RH is affected by ENSO in October, November, December and May

Métodos de soma térmica e datas de semeadura na determinação de filocrono de cultivares de trigo Thermal time methods and sowing dates in phyllochron determination in wheat cultivars

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito dos métodos de cálculo de graus-dia e de datas de semeadura na determinação do filocrono de cultivares de trigo (Triticum aestivum). Foi conduzido um experimento em campo, com 13 datas de semeadura, durante três anos (2005-2007), em Santa Maria, RS, usando-se seis cultivares de trigo: BRS Louro, CEP 52, CEP 51, BRS 177, Nova Era e BRS Tarumã. O filocrono (°C dia folha-1) foi estimado pelo inverso do coeficiente angular da regressão linear entre o estádio de Haun e a soma térmica acumulada calculada por seis métodos. O método de cálculo da soma térmica afeta as estimativas do filocrono em trigo.O uso das três temperaturas cardinais de emissão de folhas e a comparação das temperaturas cardinais com a temperatura mínima e máxima do ar melhora a precisão na simulação do desenvolvimento vegetativo dessa cultura, em comparação aos demais métodos. O filocrono varia com a cultivar de trigo e com a data de semeadura, e cultivares mais precoces (BRS Louro e CEP 51) têm menor filocrono do que cultivares tardias (Nova Era e BRS Tarumã). Em semeaduras no outono ou inverno, o filocrono é maior do que em semeaduras de primavera ou verão.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of degree-days and sowing dates calculation methods on phyllochron determination in wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars. A three-year field experiment with 13 sowing dates was conducted for three years (2005-2007) in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, using six wheat cultivars: BRS Louro, CEP 52, CEP 51, BRS 177, Nova Era and BRS Tarumã. The phyllochron (°C day leaf-1) was estimated by the inverse of the slope of the linear regression of the Haun stage against the accumulated thermal time calculated using six methods. The thermal time calculation method affects wheat phyllochron estimates. The use of the three cardinal temperatures for leaf emission and cardinal temperatures compared to the minimum and maximum air temperatures improves the precision of the vegetative development simulation of this crop, in comparison to the other methods. The phyllochron varies with wheat cultivar and sowing date, and early cultivars (BRS Louro and CEP 51) have lower phyllochron than late cultivars (Nova Era and BRS Tarumã). The phyllochron is greater in sowings carried out during fall and winter than in the ones carried out during spring and summer

Bayesian analysis of a future β\beta decay experiment's sensitivity to neutrino mass scale and ordering

International audienceBayesian modeling techniques enable sensitivity analyses that incorporate detailed expectations regarding future experiments. A model-based approach also allows one to evaluate inferences and predicted outcomes, by calibrating (or measuring) the consequences incurred when certain results are reported. We present procedures for calibrating predictions of an experiment's sensitivity to both continuous and discrete parameters. Using these procedures and a new Bayesian model of the β-decay spectrum, we assess a high-precision β-decay experiment's sensitivity to the neutrino mass scale and ordering for one assumed design scenario. We find that such an experiment could measure the electron-weighted neutrino mass within ∼40 meV after 1 year (90% credibility). Neutrino masses >500 meV could be measured within ≈5 meV. Using only β decay and external reactor neutrino data, we find that next-generation β-decay experiments could potentially constrain the mass ordering using a two-neutrino spectral model analysis. By calibrating mass ordering results, we identify reporting criteria that can be tuned to suppress false ordering claims. In some cases, a two-neutrino analysis can reveal that the mass ordering is inverted, an unobtainable result for the traditional one-neutrino analysis approach

Viterbi decoding of CRES signals in Project 8

International audienceCyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a modern approach for determining charged particle energies via high-precision frequency measurements of the emitted cyclotron radiation. For CRES experiments with gas within the fiducial volume, signal and noise dynamics can be modelled by a hidden Markov model. We introduce a novel application of the Viterbi algorithm in order to derive informational limits on the optimal detection of cyclotron radiation signals in this class of gas-filled CRES experiments, thereby providing concrete limits from which future reconstruction algorithms, as well as detector designs, can be constrained. The validity of the resultant decision rules is confirmed using both Monte Carlo and Project 8 data

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy of Electrons from Tritium Beta Decay and 83m^{83\rm m}Kr Internal Conversion

International audienceProject 8 has developed a novel technique, Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), for direct neutrino mass measurements. A CRES-based experiment on the beta spectrum of tritium has been carried out in a small-volume apparatus. We provide a detailed account of the experiment, focusing on systematic effects and analysis techniques. In a Bayesian (frequentist) analysis, we measure the tritium endpoint as $18553^{+18}_{-19}$ ($18548^{+19}_{-19}$) eV and set upper limits of 155 (152) eV (90% C.L.) on the neutrino mass. No background events are observed beyond the endpoint in 82 days of running. We also demonstrate an energy resolution of $1.66\pm0.19$ eV in a resolution-optimized magnetic trap configuration by measuring $^{83\rm m}$Kr 17.8-keV internal-conversion electrons. These measurements establish CRES as a low-background, high-resolution technique with the potential to advance neutrino mass sensitivity